3rd brake light is out, bulb is fine. rear wiper also doesnt work (wiper motor is good). i heard that this is a common problem. where does the wiring go bad? car just failed inspection for this so i need to figure it out and fix it soon.

 

I had the same car, but never had that type of trouble.

If I recall correctly, under the interior plastic cover between the tail lights in the hatch are a couple of connectors and a ground point. Might be corrosion or something back there causing your problem.